Married for Life
by isabellsah cullen
Summary: A short series of one-shots that take a look into Steph and Ranger's life as a married couple. BABE. BABE HEA. Warning: will contain a man and a woman in love, SMUT, and a few laughs.
1. I will love you and honor you

**Married For Life**

**Summary****: A series of one-shots that take a look into Steph and Ranger's life as a married couple. BABE. BABE HEA.**

**Disclaimer:****All recognizable characters, settings, etc. from the PLUM series are the property of Janet Evanovich. No copyright infringement is intended. I am not making any profit; all credit goes to the aforementioned author.**

**Warnings for:**** Explicit Sexual Situations and Bad Language. Rated MA. **

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**_**I Will Love You and Honor You**_

**RPOV**

"Now, no peeking Carlos," Stephanie asserted, giggling as she tied my wrists to the headboard of the lavish, four poster, king sized bed. The silk material of the bonds would be easy enough to break out of at a moment's notice. That had been my terms to agree to her binding me in any way, shape or form – I had to be able to get out quickly in the event of an emergency. Not to mention my Beretta M9 and 9mm Glock had to both be within reaching distance. The Beretta was currently strapped to the back of the headboard while the Glock resided on the bedside table with a pair of handcuffs. For some reason my Babe was eager to tie me down. She'd even tucked a .38 Smith and Wesson revolver under her side of the mattress, just to reassure me.

"Babe," I groaned as I felt her small hands move along my arms and down my chest to rest lightly on my hips, stroking my skin.

"I mean it, Carlos. If you peek you won't get your surprise and we'll both be very disappointed," she practically purred, her breath tickling my skin a moment before her lips blazed a path down my 'happy' trail.

It was the last night of our honeymoon. We'd been at my home on my private island situated in the Bahamas for almost four weeks now. Steph had been delighted when we'd landed here by seaplane after our small private wedding ceremony in Miami. Our privacy was guaranteed and I had my Babe to myself twenty-four-seven, except when we jumped on my fifty foot luxury cruiser-boat and motored across to an island for supplies or shopping. Stephanie had never looked so beautiful, her body gorgeously bronzed by the sunshine, her curly hair wild, her face natural and free of all makeup.

I jerked out of my thoughts when I felt Steph press her lips to the head of my cock in a soft kiss. My hips thrust eagerly off the bed, seeking the haven of her warm wet mouth.

"Uh-uh, Carlos. Patience," she cooed, placing her hands on my thighs before pushing herself up and off the bed. I listened and tracked her movements as she moved over to the dresser. My eyes stayed dutifully shut even when I heard her rummaging around in a draw where I knew she'd been hiding something from me. Perhaps today I was going to find out.

She was back quite quickly, pressing a small object into my hand as she straddled my stomach. I growled when I felt her already wet pussy rub against me.

I turned the object in my hand over, feeling it. There were two switches. Curious, I pressed the first and was rewarded with a loud moan from Steph. Shit; she'd given me the controls for a vibrator… I found myself growling in appreciation. I tried the second switch and found it had three settings. The top setting made Steph thrash about on top of me, grinding herself against my abdomen, crying my name out wantonly.

Oh fuck yes.

I flicked the switches into their 'off' positions and felt my Babe collapse onto my chest, her breathing ragged.

I was definitely going to enjoy this.

"I like my surprise, Babe," I murmured seductively. Her only reply was a whimper.

She squirmed around for a moment, before her lips found mine and we shared a heated kiss. I longed to pull my hands out of the silken bonds, and touch my Babe, but I knew she'd be upset if I did so.

I groaned when her warm, soft body wriggled off of mine. However, she was only gone a moment, soon resuming her initial position straddling me. She started at the top of my head, kissing, caressing and nibbling. I was teased and tormented with pleasure as she explored every inch of my body, surprising me by paying attention to seemingly unsexy parts, kissing my eyelids, nibbling the tops of my fingers, and caressing the inside of my elbow. Of course, I couldn't let her have all the fun. Randomly, I flicked on the vibrator, teasing her right back, and drawing shocked groans and moans from her sweet lips. Christ, she moved to straddle one of my thighs and I don't think she was aware how she was rocking against me, using me for her pleasure. It was so fucking sexy. I couldn't resist peeking at her in that moment. My breath caught in my throat as I watched her, her head thrown back, her hands on my body, a light flush covering her skin. Beautiful. So beautiful. When she reached my toes, which she decided to nibble on too, I realized she hadn't even touched my dick yet, and I was just about ready to explode.

She moved up my body again, and her fingers sank into my hair, running through it a few times before she gave me a gentle scalp massage. I melted under her administrations, my body was relaxed and I was so fucking hard I wanted nothing more than to sink into her and lose myself.

"Stephanie, please," I demanded, flexing my hips upwards as I flicked the vibrator on. My dick brushed against her wet heat and we both cried out.

"N-not yet," she panted, "Oh God, Carlos, that feels so good," she mumbled.

She shifted her weight a little, and I heard the top of a bottle or container get open. Then I listened as Steph rubbed her hands together for a moment. I all but sighed when she placed them on my shoulders, warm massage oil transferring from her hands to my skin. Babe was pampering me. I didn't know how much more of her skilled little hands I could take. She gave me a full body massage, untying my bonds briefly so I could turn over onto my stomach and she could rub my back. When I returned to my original position, my hands and legs once again secure to Steph's liking, I felt more relaxed than I could ever remember. Now, if I could only get my minx of a wife to pay attention to my dick, I'd be _really_ satisfied.

I jolted when suddenly a warm liquid was dripped down the length of my dick. It was a struggle to keep my eyes shut, especially when Steph whispered, "Yummy."

The liquid was slowly massaged up and down my dick. As torturous as it was, I was just glad that my Babe's hands were on me, pleasuring me. Fuck, so good.

I froze when I felt a band of rubber slip around the base of my dick.

"I know you're supposed to put this on before you get hard, but… well, you always seem to be aroused," she stated, tightening the cock ring slowly at the base of my dick, behind my balls.

"Babe," I growled dangerously. This wasn't part of our deal.

"Don't worry, Carlos. It's one of those easily removable ones, with this bead thingy allowing me to loosen it or tighten it at any time. Have a look, then you can decide if you want to skip it," she said softly, all the while her thumb was rubbing circles around the head of my dick.

Fuck it was hard to concentrate. What was I even mad about? I felt the cock ring get tighter and flashed my eyes open, first staring at my wife, who was kneeling between my thighs, naked, her hand on my dick; such a captivating sight. Next my eyes drifted down to my dick. I'd never allowed a woman to tie me up, let along tie my dick up. My sexual horizons had been broadened in other ways. I'd never thought I'd see the day when a white girl from Chambersburg enhanced _my_ sexual experience. Christ, was I going to broaden hers.

"Okay, Babe. But if I say stop, you take it off immediately. Understand," I instructed.

"Sir, yes, sir," she giggled. My eyes darkened. I had a flash of Steph and I in army combats, hers a little more revealing than was regulation. We'd have to play that thought out another time. "Eyes shut, mister!" Steph ordered.

I closed my eyes and lay back as Steph began. She was focused now, her hands moving up and down in fast, firm strokes. Her thumb occasionally brushed the head of my dick as she worked me. My hips shot off the bed when her hot, wet tongue started lapping at the head of my dick as her hands continued their ministrations, now sometimes twisting on the down stroke. She was going to be the death of me. I flicked the vibrator on, alternating between the slow and fast settings as she took me higher and higher. Adorable little moans and whimpers escaped her mouth as she continued pleasuring me. I couldn't tell how long we'd been in this position, but I knew it was longer than I usually lasted when she put her lips on me.

"Swing your legs around, up here," I prompted. She shook her head against me.

"Stephanie. Move. Now," I growled, my voice all but a low rumble.

I felt her shiver against me before she moved into position. I could feel her warm pussy hovering over my face and her hands and mouth lost their rhythm. Tilting my head upwards, I buried myself in her pussy, licking and nibbling softly on her warm, swollen flesh. Fuck, she was wet. Steph hummed against my dick as we both found a new rhythm, both now urgent, wanting our release. I soon felt my groin tighten, and then she loosened the cock ring and I was shooting my cum down her throat as I had one of the most intense orgasms in my life. I saw stars for a few moments, and it took a few moments more before I could finish my Babe off.

She cried my name out as she came all over my face and collapsed on the bed beside me.

I opened my eyes as stared at her, quickly slipping out of my bonds and gathering her in my arms so I could hold her. My hands caressed her gently, my lips were pressed against her head. We said nothing for a long time, simply relaxed in each other's arms. My hand slid between her legs and I eased the egg shaped vibrator out of her, tossing it on the floor. She sighed contentedly and I felt her drift off to sleep. I kissed her damp forehead and closed my eyes, happy to take a quick nap as well.

**SPOV**

I felt large, warm hands moving leisurely up and down my body as I stirred awake.

I blinked sleepily up at my husband and smiled.

"That was fun," I remarked cheekily, grinning at Carlos.

"Glad you enjoyed yourself, Babe," he chuckled, tilting my chin up to give me a hard and fast kiss, "Because now it's my turn," he whispered, his voice sending shivers along my spine.

I quivered as I spotted the handcuffs that sat on the bedside table. Would he use those or the silk scarves I'd used on him?

"Oh no, Babe. I don't need handcuffs to enslave a woman."

Oh, boy! My body trembled at the deep, husky tone of his voice. I moaned when he moved me onto my back, and placed a hand either side of my head. He held his weight just above me, his body slightly skimming mine, lighting every nerve in my body on fire. He was staring at me like he was a man lost in the desert, and I was a glass of water. I arched up toward him as his head descended down, my hands reaching up to sink into his hair.

"No," he growled fiercely. "No touching. Move your hands above your head. Now," he ordered. The look in his eye and the tone in his voice had me following his instruction. For someone who hated being out of control, I found his dominance innately sexy.

I quivered as he lowered his head, and kissed me like I'd never been kissed before. Like I was his, his woman, his possession. It sent lust coursing through my body. He punctuated his invigorating kiss with his words.

"Mine," he snarled, pressing his lips forcefully against mine, almost to the point of pain. "Your mine now, Babe. My wife."

I whimpered when he put some distance between us, getting off the bed and standing at my feet. When I began to sit up, I was given a startling look that soon had me back in the position he'd left me.

He stood proud and tall, in all his naked glory, as he assessed me. I think I might have licked my lips if his groan was any indication.

"Spread your legs. I want to see you," he demanded. I felt his gaze like a hot caresses to my skin. His eyes zeroed in on my sex, as I slowly spread my legs apart. "Wider," he murmured.

Trembling, lust spread through my body as he hungrily gazed at me, taking everything in. I gasped when he closed a hand around his cock and started lazily pumping himself up and down. My hands clenched as I watched him; I wanted to touch him; I wanted him to touch me.

"I want you." My voice shook as I spoke. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He was male perfection.

"Is that right?" he drawled.

I only nodded, swallowing thickly when he dropped his hand and moved back over to the bed. He moved between my legs and took his cock in his hand again. I whimpered, inhaling a sharp breath when he began rubbing his cock all over my sex, his hand controlling his motions. All the while he watched my sex intently.

When he'd nearly driven us both insane with his teasing, he sat back and stared at me. I felt my nipples harden as his gaze raked over them before he gazed into my eyes.

"Turn onto your stomach, Babe," he ordered, sliding a pillow underneath me to prop my hips up once I did so. "Hands folded under your chin," he added. I complied, albeit nervously.

I felt completely vulnerable in this position. My past fears were starting to emerge when Carlos' lips made a soft trail down my spine.

"I would never hurt you, Steph. I want you to remember that. Do you trust me?" he asked calmly. I nodded quickly, although I tensed when his hands moved down to cup both my ass cheeks. "Trust, Babe," he said, and I relaxed as he began kneading and massaging my ass.

He slapped it lightly, taking me by surprise. It stung, but he quickly went back to massaging my ass. A few spanks later, I was positively squirming against the bed, I was so turned on.

"Carlos," I pleaded.

He shifted swiftly, positioning himself so his cock rubbed against my wet heat, the head of it just pushing inside me, sending pleasure pulsing through me. One of his hands moved in front of my body and slowly began teasing my clit. His other hand rested on my ass, and slowly he slid it down, to where we were joined. I froze as his thumb, slick with lubricant, brushed against my anus, but I just as soon melted back into the bed when he pushed his cock a little further inside me. _I could trust Carlos. I trusted Carlos._ I repeated in my mind as he played my body to perfection. He thumb joined in, brushing back and forth against my puckered hole. My hips involuntarily pushed back against him every time he did it.

"You're fucking beautiful," he growled, drawing a loud moan from me. In one sudden movement, he thrust inside me, his cock buried deep within me. His thumb had also entered me, and the feeling took me entirely unaware. Carlos was filling me completely, surrounding me, enveloping me. I'd never let a man touch me there, and this man was not only touching me there, but giving me pleasure I'd never imagined I could feel.

I cried out when he rotated his hips in a deliberate circle before pulling out and sinking deep inside me once more. He kept this slow pattern up for so long, driving me insane; I thought I'd pass out from the pleasure of it.

"C-can you feel yourself moving inside me w-with your thumb?" I panted, rolling my hips in time with his now, only in the opposite direction.

"Babe!" he snarled, my words or actions becoming too much for the man of control. He began thrusting into me at a mind-blowing pace, his fingers rubbing against my clit, his thumb doing something wonderful inside me. My orgasm rushed up on me; so powerful I screamed his name, my vision darkening as he emptied himself inside me before everything went black.

"_Amante,_" a warm voice whispered against my ear. I struggled to open my eyes, but when I did I was rewarded with the glorious view of my handsome husband. He'd cleaned himself up and was cleaning my body with a warm, soft, hand towel.

"Hey," I croaked out unsexily. He smiled and kissed me softly, making a quick journey back to the bathroom before he rejoined me on the bed and tucked my head under his chin.

"Rest now, Babe. I love you," Carlos murmured.

"Love you," I replied drowsily.

I almost instantly fell into a deep sleep, barely waking hours later when Carlos dressed me and helped me onto his yacht. I was asleep again before we'd even left the jetty. I stirred a little when Carlos lifted me into his arms, and opened my eyes long enough to glimpse the private plane.

Home. We were going home. Where we'd continue to love and honor each other… and each other's bodies.

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_To be continued..._


	2. To have and to hold

**Married For Life**

**Summary****: A series of one-shots that take a look into Steph and Ranger's life as a married couple. BABE. BABE HEA.**

**Disclaimer:****All recognizable characters, settings, etc. from the PLUM series are the property of Janet Evanovich. No copyright infringement is intended. I am not making any profit; all credit goes to the aforementioned author.**

**Warnings for:**** Explicit Sexual Situations and Bad Language. Rated MA. **

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_**To Have and To Hold**_

_One month later_.

RPOV

My senses suddenly jolted into high alert.

_Where the fuck was I and why the hell was I awake?_

Being sure to keep my body still, my eyes closed and my breathing even, I assessed my surrounding. I was in bed – my bed. Naked. The sheet was tangled around my legs. I inhaled deeply – no smoke, so the apartment wasn't burning down around me, but the scent of sex was heavy in the air. Something was missing. A warm body – where was Stephanie? She wasn't curled up around me as was her usual MO. I stayed still and quiet for a beat longer, attempting to pinpoint what exactly had woken me. That was when I felt the bed shake and bounce as my Babe rolled over and exhaled a little huff. Thirty seconds later, she rolled back onto her other side, muttering something under her breath.

Smiling a little, I propped myself up on my elbows and gently stroked the smooth, bare skin of her lower back, whispering a quiet, "Babe?"

The answering scream I received in return for my display of affection almost burst my eardrums. Anyone would think I'd just shoved a bamboo shoot under her fingernail. No doubt the boys in the control room heard it from the surveillance equipment in the hallway outside the apartment and were on their way up.

"Jesus Christ! I thought you were asleep!" Babe exclaimed, sitting up and glaring at me, her arms folded across her naked chest. I was momentarily distracted by her heaving breasts and naked pussy, but reminded myself I could get lost in her body after I reassured whichever one of my men was coming to check on us.

I flicked the table lamp on and jumped out of bed. Shaking my head, I padded into the closet and pulled on a pair of black silk boxers.

"Babe, I'll be back," I smiled at her and even chuckled when she let out a loud frustrated groan. "Conserve that energy Babe, you're going to need it," I added smoothly as I slipped out of the bedroom door and walked across the dark rooms toward the apartment door.

I stuck my head out into the corridor just in time to see Gene and Benny crash out of the elevator, guns in hand.

The look I gave them informed them pretty quickly that everything was under control. They both merely grunted and trudged back into the elevator, giving me a brief wave and nod as they disappeared behind the thick steel doors.

Shaking my head slightly, I moved back inside and into the bedroom. Babe now had the blanket from off of the floor and the sheet tucked around her, and she was on my side of the bed. Closing the door with a quiet snap, _we didn't want any uninvited or unexpected visitors barging in again_; I slid the boxers down and off my hips, kicking them away as I strode over to the bed. I stood beside my wife, with my hands on hips, looking down at her pointedly. I couldn't help the small smile that crept onto my face as her eyes zeroed in on my cock that was proudly standing at attention.

"Steph, why can't you sleep, _querida_?" I inquired, sitting down next to her. My hand glided into her hair, drawing her close to me so I could kiss her pouting mouth.

"Ugh!" she breathed out quietly, dropping her head down onto my chest.

"Babe?"

"It's embarrassing," she protested weakly.

"I'm your husband. You can share anything with me," I murmured, reassuring her gently.

She exhaled heavily and then sat back, drawing her knees up to her chest.

"Sleeping in the wet spot sucks!" she blurted out rapidly, before burying her face in the blankets that were tucked around her knees.

"Babe?" I crawled up on the bed and settled in next to her, tucking her against my side.

She sighed and flipped back the blanket and sheets and pointed to the still damp area of bedding.

"It's not so much the wetness, it's just sticky and uncomfortable… and I'm _always _the one who has to sleep on it," she pouted.

Christ she was adorable.

"Didn't know it was a problem, Babe. We can change the sheets… or you can sleep on me," I gave her my wolf grin and chuckled as she gave a little laugh and shifted out from under the sheets.

Winding my arms low around her hips, I dragged her into my lap, her pussy rubbing along my hard cock. A small breathy moan escaped her lips as she draped her arms loosely around my neck and arched her back, rocking her hips against me.

"Christ," I hissed, tightening my arms and pulling her against my chest, capturing her lips in a punishing kiss. When I shifted back, we were both panting and her lips were swollen and deliciously red. Her movements sped up as my lips danced behind her ear, to pay special attention to a particular spot that usually drove her wild. Sucking her skin hard and laving it gently with my tongue, I left my mark, growling as I inspected it. _Mine_.

Her teeth sank into my shoulder, leaving her own mark, as she muffled her loud moan. Her tongue and lips began teasing me, just as I was teasing her. I tasted the skin of her throat before moving down to play with her perky breasts. I used one of my hands to hold her against me, while the other glided up her stomach to cup her right breast. The dark of my skin against the pale white of her breasts was always such a shocking, and arousing, sharp contrast.

"Carlos, please," Babe begged breathlessly, her own hands now buried deep in my hair, tugging whenever my thumb brushed against her nipple.

"Please what?" I inquired huskily, dropping my head down so I could lick and suck on her gorgeous breasts. They were just the right size – not ridiculously big, and not too small – they were full, round, enough to fill my hands and enough that I could fuck them, if and _when_ my Babe was ready for me to broaden her sexual horizons a little more.

"Make love to me," she urged.

"But you don't like sleeping in the wet spot, _amante_," I teased, smiling when she growled a little.

"Carlos," she whined, tugging on my hair.

I chuckled before replying, "Steph," in the same tone of voice.

She had to know I was just as desperate for her as she was for me.

"Don't be cruel," she grumbled, dropping her head down on my chest in defeat.

I slid my arm beneath her knee, the other moving around her back as I stood, swinging her up into my arms.

"W-what? Where?" she asked, glancing around as I made my way to the dining room.

I enjoyed making love with Steph during the night; she was usually a little sleepy and a little less coherent than normal. I'd enter her slowly and we'd rock together until we both reached our peaks. But tonight, tonight was different. She'd been awake for a while and she didn't want to sleep in the wet spot. So I had a better idea.

I set her down on the dining room table as I took one of the chairs into the lounge room. I set it back against the wall, so it would be stable, then went back for my Babe.

"What are you doing with that chair?" she wondered, her eyes wide. I drew her legs around my waist and slipped my hands under her ass to hold her as I moved into our new play area.

"We're going to try something new," I informed her, setting her down on her feet. She looked at me dubiously, then at the chair, then back at me.

Christ, had she never been treated to chair sex? Hmm, did I have a lot to teach her. I'd enjoy every second of it.

"Relax, Babe. It will be fun. I promise you'll enjoy it," I murmured, moving my hands to cup her ass as I nibbled on her lips.

She nodded against me, and when she melted into my body, I knew she was ready.

I sat down on the chair, shifting her so she sat on the edge of my knees, facing away from me.

"Um, Carlos? I don't think we're doing it quite right," she said, giggling adorably.

I ignored her little ribbing and held her hips in my hands.

"Hands on the ground, Babe," I ordered.

She threw me a look of disbelief over her shoulder but she followed my order none the less. I shifted her hips backwards until her knees were at my side and her pussy was hovering just above my dick, her beautiful ass pointed up. I wanted to sink my teeth into it.

I slowly eased her down onto me, listening to her moans and gasps as I gritted my teeth. She felt so God damn _tight_. Finally, I was buried deep inside her. I glanced down and groaned. A picture of perfection. My hands still on her hips, I eased her forward before slamming her back down. Her breasts jiggled back and forth, the tips of her curls were brushing the ground, and I had a perfect view of where we were joined. _Fuck yes_!

"Carlos!" she cried, panting as I did it again. Her body was trembling, sweat gleaned on her skin, her riotous curls slid down her back, over her shoulders and around her face.

We settled into a steady rhythm, and when I felt my balls tightening I reached around to play with her clit, roaring her name as we both came together.

She collapsed down on the floor. I lazily smiled down at her, finding some energy to stand, scoop her up into my arms and deposit her on the couch. I kissed both of her closed eyelids and then her lips before I made my way to the bedroom.

Within ten minutes, I had the bed stripped and the bedding changed. I found Steph asleep on the couch, curled up in a ball. I carried her back to our bed, and settled her under the sheets, brushing her curls away from her face.

Her entrancing blue eyes fluttered open as she peered up at me, a soft smile on her lips.

I crawled in beside her and dragged her into my arms. She sighed and snuggled into me.

"You changed the sheets?" she whispered gently.

"Yeah, Babe," I replied, kissing her curls.

"Thanks, Batman. My hero," she mumbled.

I chuckled, tucking the sheets around us as she succumbed to sleep.

~*~#*#~*~

_The next night_.

"No, not tonight," Stephanie said, holding her hands up to ward me off. I wasn't going to be dissuaded so easily.

"Babe," I rumbled, in a voice I knew she found sexy.

"No, Carlos."

I sighed.

"Why?" I asked, slowly stripping my shirt and cargoes off. Her eyes locked onto my body, watching me walk around in my naked state. She was wearing only one of my t-shirts and some panties, having come upstairs a couple of hours before me.

She followed behind me as I entered the bathroom and hit the shower, sitting down on the toilet seat.

"Because," she mumbled, huffing.

I saw her rub her thighs together out of the corner of my eye. Smirking, I soaped up my body, sliding my hand around my dick to relieve some pressure; and to tease Steph.

"Because why?" I queried, throwing my head back as I continued to stroke myself.

"No s-spare sh-sheets," she stammered, a soft moan finishing her sentence.

I shook my head. This was about the wet spot thing. I didn't realize this was going to have such an impact on our sex lives. Hadn't my Babe learnt anything? I sighed. I could see us with a closet full of bed linen, just so we could change the bedding every time we had sex. Christ, that was going to get old fast; we had a _lot_ of sex.

Shutting off the shower, I dried off and advanced toward my wife. My hands slid under her shirt, which I quickly lifted over her head, tossing it behind me.

"Stand," I instructed.

She stood before me, her eyes wide. I knelt down and stripped her panties down her thighs slowly, tossing them over with her shirt. I silently parted her legs and immediately licked her slippery, wet sex. Steph almost fell over. Smiling up at her, I got to my feet and took her hand in mine.

Leading her back into the living room, I moved our chair in front of the window.

"I want you to get on the chair, in a squat position, facing the window," I requested.

She gave me a small, sexy pout, but without a protest, she did as I asked.

I moved in behind her, placing my hands on the window sill either side of her body. My lips moved along her shoulder as I rocked my dick against her pussy. She was already so fucking ready for me. Tilting my hips, I pressed against her entrance, and with one hard thrust, I was deep inside her, pleasure consuming us both, and she'd forgotten all about her little problem. I set a pace that was fast and hard, taking pleasure from her body as she bucked against me. My hand found her breast, squeezing and molding the full mound, twisting her nipples roughly.

"Oh! Oh Carlos," she whimpered.

I pushed deeper inside her, and moved my hand down to her pussy, touching where we joined as I moved in and out of her slick heat. As she threw her head back, I claimed her mouth in a bruising kiss, just as I brushed my thumb against her clit. She fell apart in my arms, taking me over the edge with her in a plethora of pleasure.

As I held her that night, after making love again, this time in our bed, I thought how lucky I was to have Steph as my wife. Quirks and all. I figured sooner or later, she'd lose her steam about the wet spot issue. Maybe she already had. If not, I'd just buy a bigger bed.

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_To be continued..._


	3. For Better or for Worse

**Married For Life**

**Summary****: A series of one-shots that take a look into Steph and Ranger's life as a married couple. BABE. BABE HEA.**

**Disclaimer:****All recognizable characters, settings, etc. from the PLUM series are the property of Janet Evanovich. No copyright infringement is intended. I am not making any profit; all credit goes to the aforementioned author.**

**Warnings for:**** Explicit Sexual Situations and Bad Language. Rated MA. **

* * *

_**For Better or For Worse**_

_One month later._

**RPOV**

My phone rang, disturbing my sleep. I frowned at the display as I picked it up. Four am was not my preferred waking hour. Not now I was a married man, anyway, even though I preferred to spend my time in bed doing more pleasurable activities than sleeping.

"Someone better be dead," I growled into the receiver.

Steph shifted against me, mumbling something. I smoothed my hand over her hair and she settled back down.

"Boss, the Morrissey house has been broken into. Residents triggered the panic button. We examined the surveillance camera footage, and it appears the assailants are still in there, with the victims," Ram reported.

I closed my eyes and cursed quietly.

"I'll be down in five to suit up. Have a team ready for briefing in fifteen. Conference Room A," I said, swiftly disconnecting.

I looked down at my wife and sighed.

"Babe, wake up," I murmured, brushing a kiss against her cheek.

"Mmm?" she replied.

"An alarms gone off at a client's house. Me and a team of guys are going to go check it out. I probably won't see you until tonight," I explained quietly.

She sat up and stared at me, blinking a few times.

"Be safe," she whispered, bending down to give me a soft kiss.

I climbed out of bed and tucked her back in, kissing her as she got settled.

"I will, Babe," I promised, moving through the dark apartment, getting dressed, strapping on my weapons and grabbing a suit to change into for later. God knows however this situation turned out; I'd be in meetings over it for the rest of the day.

I was out the door with a couple minutes to spare. Dropping the suit off in my office, I headed to the ammunitions and supply room, grabbing a Kevlar vest, night vision goggles, and an ear piece and microphone.

I met my team of eight men in the conference room and handed the floor over to Ram, who had the Intel. He quickly briefed us. Three assailants, armed, dangerous. Hostages included two adults, one male and one female, and two young girls. They were being held in the family room, located at the back of the house, ground floor. We had numerous points of entry.

"I'll lead a team of four for the back entrance; Tank, you'll have a team of three to take the front. Ram, you're our sniper. I want a clean entry and exit; no casualties. Let's move out!"

We were on the road within minutes, three vehicles moving through the quiet Trenton night.

We approached the massive three story mansion, switching off our headlights and parking a few houses down from our target.

"Boss, we're ready to move in," Tank informed me through my earpiece.

"Affirmative. When Ram gets into position, we'll move," I replied, motion for my guys to follow me out of the vehicle. We needed to do a little on the ground reconnaissance.

We scaled the six foot fence and entered the target's back yard, laying low in the hedges. The family room was lit up like a flash grenade; all lights were on. The assailants obviously weren't aware the security system had been activated. They had the Morrissey family on the one couch, huddled together. Two of the assailants stood in front of the large bay windows, their backs turned to us. The other man was standing in front of the victims, shouting and waving the gun around. We needed to move quickly. The situation seemed to be escalating. I observed the men for a few minutes more, trying to determine whether it would be beneficial to get a negotiator in.

"Boss, I'm on the neighbors roof; I've got a clear shot," Ram said quietly.

I thought quietly for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. We'd get the family out safe in five minutes, ten tops. A negotiator could take hours, with no guarantees. I wanted this over, and I was confident we could do it without anyone getting hurt. We did, after all, have the element of surprise.

"Right. Tank, ready?" I growled, motioning for one of my men to approach the back door. I instructed another to enter through a window to the left of the family room. Bobby and I were going through the bay windows, although he didn't know that yet.

"Cal's entering an upstairs bedroom as we speak; he'll come down the stairs. I'm taking the front door, Woody's taking the kitchen window," Tank reported.

"Everyone in position; Bobby and I are going to be decoys," I answered. I felt Bobby's gaze on me. "Wait for my signal, we don't want someone getting trigger happy," I added.

I watched my guys slip inside the house as Bobby and I army crawled up to the back deck, either side of the bay windows.

"Cue the gas," I said softly, watching through the window as Woody released the open canister into the room.

The children fell asleep first, distracting their parents, and most importantly, the assailants.

"Now," I grunted.

It was all over in less than a minute.

I crashed through the window and tackled the closest man. With my dart gun, I shot the man that was closest to the family. He dropped like a fly. I cuffed and stunned the man that was trying to fight me off, tossing him to the side as I stood. Bobby had already subdued his assailant and Cal was cuffing the one I'd tranquilized.

Taking off my night vision goggles, I holstered my weapon and approached the family.

"Mr Morriessy, my name is Ricardo Carlos Manoso. Everything is going to fine, now," I soothed, switching on my business bravado as Woody sealed the gas canister and provided oxygen masks for the children.

"Mr Manoso, are we glad to see you," he replied, his voice shaking as he hugged his wife tightly to his chest.

I heard sirens in the distance and hung my head. It was going to be a long day.

By eleven thirty am I was ready to gouge my eyes out. Like I'd predicted, I'd been in meetings all morning. Meetings with Trenton Police officers for my statement, meetings with the Chief of Police and the mayor, meetings with the Feds. I was currently in a meeting with Morelli, representing the Trenton Police, and one Agent Dirk from the FBI. We were discussing the correct procedure to follow when faced with a hostage situation. Agent Dirk was treating me like I was an idiot. He'd shiver in his polished loafers if he knew how far I outranked him, and all this bullshit. I'd not only faced more hostage situations than I could count; I'd also been the hostage on many situations. But, it was better to let this proceed, as much as I hated it. Although, I'd do anything to wipe that smug fucking look off of Morelli's face.

"Mr Manoso, could you please describe for us your protocol on hostage situations?" Agent Dirk asked.

Christ.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and almost smiled. Saved!

"Excuse me, gentlemen," I injected smoothly, standing and moving away from the table.

Glancing at the display, I frowned when I saw the control room number.

"Yo!" I answered.

"Ranger, we've got a situation," Tank stated.

"Explain," I demanded, shifting my gaze to Morelli and Agent Dirk. They quickly averted their eyes.

"At oh eight hundred hours, Steph came downstairs. She turned on her computer, put her head down on her desk and promptly fell asleep. When she woke up, I guess the guys started ribbing her for staying up to late – uh – with you – uh – in bed. She then proceeded to climb on top of her desk and shouted at the guys that she was in fact not up all night with you, that you'd only had sex twice and that they should all mind their own God damn fucking business. She clambered down and strode straight to the break room. She opened the fridge and burst into tears and went upstairs," Tank explained.

I dropped my chin to my chest and pinched the bridge of my nose. What was wrong with my Babe?

"Put Santos on," I requested.

"Bossman?" Lester answered quickly.

"Go upstairs. I want you to find out what, where and how it happened. I want to know who was involved and I want to know why. Find out what is wrong. I'll get back as soon as I can," I stated, trying hard not to grind my teeth together.

All this policy and procedural bullshit, when I could be on the seventh floor comforting my Babe. I took my seat again, folding my arms across my chest.

"Could we speed these proceedings up?" I demanded.

"Of course, Mr Manoso. Your time is very valuable," Agent Dick, Dirk, whatever the fuck, taunted. I'd love to slam my fist into his face. "You were just about to explain to us your protocol," he prompted, smirking at me as he settled back in his chair.

Fucker.

**LPOV**

I gave the phone back to Tank, and strode off to the elevator, heading up to the penthouse. Knocking on the apartment door, I found it open. Letting myself inside, I paused in the entryway and surveyed the apartment. No sign of Steph yet. Shutting the door behind me, I knocked softly on the bedroom door. Finding no answer, I eased it open and stopped dead in my tracks.

There was Steph.

In all her naked glory.

My eyes traced over her curves, not missing anything. Smooth, flawless, pale skin; breasts just big enough to fill a man's hand, gently flaring hips, long, shapely legs and a neatly trimmed pussy. Beautiful. She was fucking beautiful. When she wrapped a towel around herself, I snapped out of my daydream and discovered she was yelling at me. And swearing at me. And hitting me. I stumbled out of the bedroom and collapsed on the couch in the lounge room. She slammed the door behind me.

Fuck, Ranger was a lucky man. He was going to fucking kill me.

I shifted my rock hard dick, trying to get comfortable. Christ, if Ranger walked in now, he'd have my dick.

Ten minutes later, Steph breezed out of the bedroom and stood in front of me. She was dressed now, her sexy little body all covered up.

"Lester Santos! What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded, hands propped on her hips.

"Ranger asked me to come and check on you, see what's up, and if there is anything I can do," I replied, watching her temper fade a little.

"Did he now? Anything?" Uh oh.

"Beautiful," I protested, standing. I didn't like that look in her eyes.

"Lester, I need you to go to the store. I need drugs. Pain killers, anti-inflammatory, whatever! Just go and get it. And donuts! I need a box of donuts from the Tasty Pastry. If you're not back in forty minutes heads will roll!" She shooed me to the front door, handed me two twenties and pushed me out into the corridor.

Well shit.

I headed down to the garage and drove over to the nearest drug store.

Pulling out my phone, I dialed Ranger's number.

**RPOV**

My phone vibrated again, and I quickly answered the call, not even bothering with the niceties this time. Fuck them.

"Yo!"

"Boss, its Santos. Stephanie has sent me to the drug store, and then I have to swing by the Tasty Pastry," he announced.

Hmmm. Drugs and Donuts. She must have her period. I counted back… yep. She had that shot thing just before our wedding. Three months had passed. Looked like my Babe was moody and in pain. I knew just how to fix that, and I didn't need drugs or donuts.

"Ten-four. Forget your mission. I'll be back in ten to sort this out myself."

Disconnecting, I stood, nodded to both of the men and walked out. There was a man outside the interview door that began to tell me I wasn't supposed to leave. One look had him falling silent and moving out of my way.

Punching a number into my phone, I spoke to the man that reported to me. His secretary answered the phone.

"This is Ricardo Carlos Manoso. Chief Executive Manley is expecting my call," I explained curtly. Manley wasn't really expecting my call, but I often found the head of the FBI made time for me.

"Sir, what can I do for you?" Manley addressed me.

"I have a problem in Trenton; your boys are getting in the way. I'd appreciate it if you called them back," I drawled, smirking as I climbed into my Porsche.

"Sir, yes, sir. Right away," he replied. I'd pay good money to see the look on Agent Dirk's face when that call went through. Too bad I had more pressing matters.

I disconnected and put my foot to the floor, roaring out of the police station. I reached Rangeman in seven minutes, and was upstairs at the door to the apartment in another two.

I slipped inside the apartment and headed straight for the bedroom door.

"Lester Santos! Wasn't seeing me naked once today enough? Didn't you ever learn how to knock? This is my _bedroom_!" Steph shouted, before turning around and spotting me. "Oh."

She was wearing my t-shirt, panties and nothing else. My eyes were dark with fury as I pulled out my phone ready to make another not so pleasant call.

"Santos _what_?" I growled quietly, advancing on my Babe.

"H-he barged in while I was getting dressed," Steph stammered, backing away from me.

I paused for a moment and grinned maliciously when I thought of an apt punishment for Lester. I dropped my phone on the dresser. I'd carry that out later. Right now, my Babe needed some Manoso Medicine.

"I need a shower, Babe," I announced nonchalantly. She nodded a little wearily. "You've got five minutes to be ready," I growled, nodding to the bathroom before I dragged her against my body and ravaged her sweet mouth. "Okay?" I inquired, kissing her swollen lips. She nodded slowly, dazed, and pushed up on her toes to kiss me again before racing to the bathroom.

I slowly and silently stripped out of my suit, leaving my clothes in a heap on the floor. By the time I was finished, I could hear the shower running.

I climbed into the shower, behind my wife and began washing her body, sliding my soapy hands over her slick skin. Our bodies brushed together enticingly now and then. My dick was so fucking hard; I wanted to be inside my wife, loving her.

One of her hands dipped down to grasp my dick, giving it a squeeze. I growled and turned her around so I could see her gorgeous body and touch her too. Her hand found my dick again, this time stroking up and down.

I pressed my weight against her, crowding her against the wet tiled wall. My lips traced the shell of her right ear, before I laved and kissed her neck. I let my hands trail from her thighs, up over her seductive hips and slim waist until I had a breast cupped in each hand. My fingers tweaked and rubbed her nipples, my palms needing the flesh of her breasts. Quiet moans were escaping her lips every few seconds. One of my hands moved back down her body to cup her sex, finding her slick and ready for me. Sliding two fingers deep inside her tight walls, I maneuvered my fingers until they hit that spot that drove her wild. Rubbing them against the spongy tissue, my thumb brushed back and forth against her clit. Her walls began tightening against my fingers and her hand on my cock began stroking furiously. My name was leaving her mouth, mixed in with pants and moans. She was so fucking sexy. Just as she was about to come, I slipped my fingers out of her, lifted her leg around mine, silenced her protests with my lips and thrust my dick deep inside her wet heat. My thumb returned to her clit and she flew apart with one touch. So damn responsive.

"Oh, God, Carlos!" she moaned breathily, whimpering as her body contorted and shook through her pleasure.

There was no better sight that seeing my Babe cum. I held off my own orgasm, stroking in and out of her slowly until she recovered. Both of her arms moved around my neck and her other leg wrapped around me. My hands gripped her sweet ass, pressing her tighter against me as I picked up speed. She felt so fucking good; she always did. In time with my thrusts, she was rotating her hips and clenching her walls around my dick. I wasn't going to last long. Moving one hand down between our bodies, I stroked her swollen clit. Her hand soon wandered down my ass and she started massaging that spot right between my balls and asshole. My body tensed and exploded in mere seconds, a roar ripping from my chest as I emptied myself into my Babe. She followed a split second later, quietly crying out my name.

We trembled together, coming down from our high. I let her slide down my body to her feet, but continued to hold onto her until I was sure she could stand.

We quickly washed again, and I stepped out to give Steph some privacy. I slipped on my silk boxers, picked up in the bedroom, turned down the sheets and pulled the curtains shut. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, I smiled softly when Steph came out, dressed in my shirt and her panties again. Her teeth were worrying her bottom lip, so I knew something was up. Either she had a question, or she wanted me to do something for her.

"What can I do for you, _amante_?" I whispered, taking her hand and drawing her between my knees.

"Would you give me a massage? Please," she pouted adorably.

Christ, she had me wrapped around her little finger.

"Sure, Steph. Anything," I replied, settling her on her stomach on the bed, before starting a slow, deep massage on her lower back. Whenever she was menstruating she always had a sore back. I understood my Babe.

"You know me so well," she sighed, almost echoing my thoughts. I dropped a kiss to her shoulder and continued massaging her until she drifted off to sleep.

No doubt when she awoke, she'd be in a bad mood again. But I loved her no matter what; for better or for worse.

_Later that Evening_

I slipped out of bed, making sure I didn't wake my sleeping wife. I dressed, grabbed some supplies and made a quick stop to the infirmary on my way down to four. It was oh three hundred and I had some punishment to deliver.

I let myself into Santos' apartment and stealthily entered his bedroom. He was alone, and I thanked my luck.

Administering the mild sedative, I made sure he was wearing pants before I picked up the heavy bastard and threw him over my shoulder.

Dumping him in the back of my SUV, I drove across town to a street that never slept. Stark street. I found a well-lit and seemingly popular street light. Parking illegally, I dragged Santos from the car and propped him up against the light while I went back to the car for a pair of handcuffs and some duct tape. It took me a good ten minutes to get him tied to the pole, standing up. I finished my master piece by taping his gun to his hand. He was just starting to rouse when I cut off his gym shorts.

"Rangeman?" he groaned, trying to shift.

I stood back with my hands on my hips. He froze when he realized his little predicament.

"You're one mean son of a bitch," Santos sighed.

I grinned ruthlessly.

"Later," I stated, turning and climbing back into my car as he shouted obscenities at me. I chuckled when I saw a group of hookers giving Santos the evil eye. He was infringing on their turf after all.

Lucky for his ass, I didn't want him dead. Junior was parked down the road watching my idiot employee's back.

One thing was sure, after a few hours out here, Santos wouldn't ever want to see my wife naked again.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	4. For Richer or Poorer

**Married For Life**

**Summary****: A series of one-shots that take a look into Steph and Ranger's life as a married couple. BABE. BABE HEA.**

**Disclaimer:****All recognizable characters, settings, etc. from the PLUM series are the property of Janet Evanovich. No copyright infringement is intended. I am not making any profit; all credit goes to the aforementioned author.**

**Warnings for:**** Explicit Sexual Situations and Bad Language. Rated MA. **

* * *

**For Richer or Poorer**

_Four Months Later_

**SPOV**

My husband was a man with a unique sense of humor.

He was extremely overprotective, paranoid, and a planner to the nth degree.

He was also loving, kind, fair, and he encouraged me to be the best I could be.

I guess it was a combination of all his traits that led me to complete his ridiculous training – _cough, torture, cough _– program for the past six months. Possibly, it was also a result of a mature, _adult_ conversation we'd had prior to marrying, which had included my trying to be healthy and his trying to talk a little more, among other things. Carlos had also slipped in a clause regarding sex at least five times a week until death do us part. And before you ask, yes there was a contract involved that we both had to sign. Men. At least he hadn't asked for a prenuptial. I wouldn't have blamed him if he had. Although, it was only after we'd said _I do_ that I'd found out _just_ how wealthy Carlos was. I'd fainted. Not one of my prouder moments.

I'd run every morning, swum in the late afternoon, competed weight sets at lunch and learnt self-defense every other day in alternation with my Krav Maga training. Twice a week I'd had to complete two hour sessions at the gun range, with a wide variety of weapons. My training had also included some lessons in breaking and entering, first aid, what to do if I found myself in a hostage situation, how to negotiate with a psychopath, detecting a trail, offensive driving and many, many other things I had never thought could be taught.

Today was my official 'graduation' day. I'd been tried and tested all weekend and had passed all of Carlos' ridiculous little assessments. It was now Monday morning, and I was allowed back in the field full time. Thank God, doing desk work day in and day out had been starting to drive me insane.

Carlos had given me one of his Porsches to use out in the field and I was partnered up with Woody for the day. We'd already swung past the Bonds Office and picked up three new files, all in the high bond range.

"What've we got, Bombshell?" Woody wondered, taking his eyes off of the road for a moment to give me a wink.

I rolled my eyes and told him to watch where he was going. Opening the first file, I began reading aloud.

"John Hastings, age twenty four, charged with sexual assault and manslaughter and a whole host of other crimes. I'm surprised he even made bail. It was set at $750, 000." I grimaced at the ugly mug shot. He looked mean, and his rep proved it.

Shutting that file, I flicked open the next one.

"Timothy Reynolds, age twenty eight, charged with possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, kidnapping and assault. Bond set at $430, 000." I opened the final file. "Brian Lance, age twenty two, charged with aggravated arson, forgery and carjacking. Bond is $280, 000. Looks like we got the crème of the crop," I sighed pitifully.

Woody just laughed.

"This is going to be fun," he exclaimed.

Apparently, his idea of fun was more in line with Lester's than with mine.

"So who first?" I wondered.

"Let's go with number two, the kidnapper. Do we have an address?" Woody inquired.

"Yeah, a bogus house address. 190 Kissmyass Lane. Connie's done a quick search though… uh, here we go. He owns a warehouse. Might be hiding out there," I proposed.

"Could be," Woody agreed.

I rattled off the address and closed my eyes tightly as Woody performed a sharp U-turn. I hoped to God he didn't damage Carlos' Cayenne. Opening my eyes again, I frowned as I glanced in the side mirror and saw a large dark vehicle follow us. Oh boy.

"Does Carl-_Ranger_ have someone watching our backs today?" I asked, feeling my hackles rising. That would be just like him, to put me through months of training to get me up to the guys level and then have someone babysit me my first day back in the field!

"No, Steph. Ranger knows how hard you've worked, we all do. You don't need babysitters. A partner, yeah. Everyone needs a partner in the field. Why, what's up?" Woody asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Well, someone's following us, and if it's not one of our guys, who the hell is it?" I demanded, staring at the mirror again. The car was weaving in and out of traffic, gaining on us.

"Shit," Woody said. "Better call the boss," he added.

I gave Woody the evil eye as I fished out my phone and hit speed dial one. It wrung twice before it was picked up.

"Yo, Babe. What's up?" he queried. I hit the speakerphone button.

"Uh, well, it seems Woody and I have picked up a tail," I informed my husband quietly.

He was silent for a few minutes, long enough for me to have to check we were still connected.

"Make, model and plates?" he requested tightly.

I shrugged and glanced at Woody.

"Make is Land Rover. Model is 2009, the Discovery 3. Vehicle color is black," Woody said quickly. He gave another shoulder check before reading off the number plates. "Plates are New Jersey; garden state. They read Charlie, November, Tango, Zee-ro, Nin-er, Juliet."

"I'll run it now. Loose them." Carlos disconnected. I closed my eyes for a beat.

"Loose them, Woody," I pleaded, holding onto my seat tightly.

Seconds later, we were zipping in and out of the traffic, running red lights and taking corners on two wheels. If he put so much as one scratch on the exterior of the car, he'd be in deep shit! Ten minutes later, and ten years off my life, Woody slowed down and pulled to a stop in front of a warehouse.

"I think we lost them. Let's go check this building out," Woody stated, unbuckling his seat belt and jumping from the car. I followed slowly on shaky legs. I don't think Woody and I took the same offensive driving course.

I drew my gun, checked my Kevlar vest was secure, and moved around the right side of the building. Woody took the left side. We circled around and met up at the back door.

"No windows down low," I muttered. Woody nodded, and glanced up. There were windows on the second floor.

He glanced at the windows, then back at me, then up at the windows again.

"Oh no, buddy. No way in hell," I protested, moving away from Woody.

"C'mon, Steph. I won't fit through them," he pleaded.

I rolled my eyes and soon found myself thrown over his shoulder as we headed back around his side of the warehouse.

I was thankfully placed down swiftly, with my feet on solid ground. Woody started to shift a dumpster underneath a window, and got there with a little help from me. I watched him climbed on top, holding out his hand to me. With a sigh and a glare, I took his hand and scrambled up next to him.

"Now what?" I whispered.

"Up you go," Woody said, motioning to the window. I glanced up and stared at it. Even if I jumped as high as I could, I wouldn't be able to touch the sill, let alone look through the window, open it, and climb inside.

"Up I go _where_?" I hissed back, hand on my hips as I stared at Woody.

"Climb up my back, sit on my shoulders, open the window, stand on my shoulders and have a look around. If it looks okay, climb through. Do I need to spell it out to you any clearer?"

"Men," I grumbled, trying to perform the not so easy task he requested. It took a few tries for me to be able to climb on top of his shoulders.

The window was covered with grime, distorting my view inside the building. I'd just slid the window open quietly and was looking around the interior of the warehouse when movement caught my eye.

"There's our guy, he's got a set up in the top right hand corner," I whispered back to Woody. "He seems to be right at home; fridge, swag, safe, television, generator," I added just as little Timmy the kidnapper pulled out a SG 550 assault rifle and opened fire.

Woody lost his balance and we both went crashing down on top of the dumpster, and then rolled to the ground. We hid behind the dumpster, using it as cover as the shots continued to pierce the air.

I was aching all over, and doing a quick body check I sighed. I'd been hit once in the vest above my ribs. There would be a decent bruise there. However, my major concern was the bullet hole in my left arm. It had gone straight through, but blood wasn't gushing out, so I figured it hadn't nicked any arteries.

"Fuck, you're hit," Woody grunted, grabbing my arm and inspecting it. "That low life piece of shit shot at us," he remarked dangerously.

"Son of a bitch," I exclaimed darkly, unzipping a pouch on my utility belt to remove a bandage. I performed a quick patch up job, hoping my arm would be fine until I could seek medical attention; after we'd captured our skip and taken him down town. "Let's get the fucker," I growled, standing in a low crouch.

Woody rose to his feet and gave me a menacing grin.

"I'll take the front; you take the back and provide a distraction," Woody instructed quietly.

We pulled out our weapons, bumped fists and headed off in our separate directions.

I waited a minute or so longer, until I was sure Woody was in position. Then I made my move. I made sure I had the back roller door in my sight, yet I stood a little to the side, out of firing range as I picked up a decent sized rock. Weighing it in my hand, I grinned as I threw it as hard as I could against the side of the warehouse, next to the door. Gunfire exploded through the wall, spraying holes through the metal as I took cover. Within sixty seconds the gunfire had ceased, and I heard Woody yell, "All clear!"

Moving to the warehouse, I pushed open a man door and stepped inside. Woody had our skip belly down. His hands were handcuffed behind his back and drool was dripping down onto the concrete ground.

"You try out your new dart Taser?" I asked Woody seriously.

"Oh yeah," he replied with a silly grin, "All 50, 000 volts," he sighed wistfully. "Works beautifully."

I nodded, staring down at our skip. He was just starting to come to.

"Let's haul his ass out of here," I requested, striding over to stand on the left side of the skip.

Woody grabbed his right arm while I grabbed his left and we dragged him to his feet. Tommy stumbled his way outside, tripping into the wall of the warehouse and _somehow _managing to fall face first onto some handy rocks. I smiled as I watched Woody heave Tommy back to his feet after his third _fall_.

"He seems to be a little clumsy," I remarked dryly.

Woody chuckled.

"I think maybe I gave him too many volts," he insisted, while rolling his eyes behind the skips back.

"Bullll-_theeet_," the skip slurred as blood poured out his nose. "Thith ith plolice brutalithy," he continued to garble.

"Good thing we're not police, then, isn't it Steph?" Woody asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

I bit back a burst of laughter.

We were only twenty feet away from Ranger's Porsche Cayenne Turbo when it blew sky high, knocking all three of us back a few feet on our asses.

"Shit," I muttered from the ground, sitting up, resting my head in my hands as I propped my elbows on my knees. All that was left of the Porsche was a blackened, smoking frame. The dry grass near the curb was smoldering a little.

It had been eleven months since I'd written off a vehicle. _Eleven months_! Now in the space of one morning I'd destroyed one of Carlos' pride and joys.

"Fuck you Woody, you low life piece of shit! I hope you and your _new_ girlfriend are very fucking happy together!" A woman screeched as she hung out of the Land Rover that had been following us before, her tires squealing in her wake as she burned rubbed going up the road, away from the scene of the crime.

"Shit," Woody echoed my earlier thoughts.

"That your ex-girlfriend?" I wondered, scooting back a little so I could sit next to Woody. He'd already given the skip another jolt, this time with his stun gun, knocking him out. I hoped he stayed out until after the cavalry had arrived and we'd transported him to the police station.

"Well, up until a minute ago, she was my current girlfriend. Guess you made her jealous," Woody mumbled, shaking his head. "My taste in women isn't that great," he admitted.

"You don't say," I laughed lightly, knocking my shoulder against his.

He bumped back against me, ruffled my hair and chuckled.

Within a couple of minutes, we heard the familiar sound of sirens in the distance. I bit my lip as I heard the unmistakable roar of a Porsche engine, screaming down the road. Sure enough, within twenty seconds, Carlos pulled his Cayman S to a screeching stop and jumped out of the car. I watched him, through the charred car frame, as he froze. His dark shades hid most of his expression from me, but I could see his body tense and his breathing stop.

Beside me, Woody stood up and gave Carlos a quick wave. I slowly got to my feet as well, my entire body protesting. Man, was I going to be a bruised and battered mess tomorrow.

Quicker than I could blink, my husband had closed the distance between us and had captured me in his arms. I sunk into his comforting embrace as he held me tightly against his chest. Reaching up, I slid his sunglasses off, tucking them into the collar of his shirt. His hand gently cupped my face and I swooned as his lips ever so lightly brushed against mine.

"Are you alright, _querida_?" he asked quietly.

I nodded and swallowed thickly.

"I'm okay, but your car has seen better days. I'm sorry it got destroyed. I'll find a way to pay you back, make it up to you," I rambled, being swiftly cut off by Carlos' lips.

"No, you won't. Money isn't important to me. Possessions are not important to me. _You_ are important to me. You are the most important person or thing in my life. We could be poor as church mice, and I'd still love you just the same and be just as content with my life, because I'd have you," Carlos murmured, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"I love you," I sniffled, burying my face in his shirt. His scent washed over me, soothing my frayed nerves.

His hand slid up and down my arm, pausing as he encountered the bandage.

"Stephanie?" he asked darkly.

"The skip got a few rounds off. It's just a flesh wound; straight through," I answered meekly.

He muttered a curse under his breath in Spanish and pulled me tighter against him.

Just then the ambulance, fire truck and a host of police cars pulled to a stop at the scene. I was swiftly swung up into Carlos' arms and found myself deposited in the back of the ambulance.

As the paramedic treated my arm and inspected my minor scrapes and bruises, I watched the scene unfold around me. Tank and Bones pulled up in an SUV and made their way over to collect the skip. Woody gave his statement to the cops. The firefighters cooled down the smoking wreck of a vehicle as the forensic team moved in to investigate.

"Now Mrs Manoso, you're going to feel a tiny prick of a local injection. Then I'll suture your wound," the paramedic informed me. Suited me fine. If he did it here, then there would be no reason for me to have to go to the hospital.

I sat there patiently with Carlos holding my hand as the man did his thing. Woody came over and stood in front of us, watching.

"Can I speak with you, boss?" Woody inquired. I frowned.

Carlos inclined his head slightly.

"The destruction of your car was entirely my fault," Woody began.

"No it wasn't! We all know I'm death on cars. If I hadn't of been with you, none of this would have happened," I protested indignantly.

I didn't want Woody to take the blame. Carlos was a lot less likely to go as easy on him as he did on me.

"Babe, let Woody finish," Carlos asked softly, giving my hand a comforting squeeze. I gave a heavy sigh and nodded weakly.

"It was my girlfriend, you see, Sir. She must have picked up our tail at the bonds office; must have seen me there with Steph. I'm afraid she got the wrong impression and sought to punish us," Woody declared, standing resolute.

"I appreciate your honesty, Woody. Dismissed," Carlos ordered calmly.

Woody blinked, threw me an inquisitive gave, gave Carlos a little nod and quickly moved off, jumping in the back of Tank's SUV. No doubt he was afraid Carlos would suddenly change his mind and fire him.

"All done, Mrs Manoso. You're going to be in some pain tomorrow, so I suggest you take the next few days easy," the paramedic instructed. I nodded as Carlos thanked the man, and helped me to my feet.

He kept his arm around me securely, and brushed aside Officer Picky informing him that I'd make my statement once I'd recovered.

Helping me into the car, I sighed as he pressed a loving kiss to my lips, and buckled me in.

Carlos climbed behind the wheel and took my hand as he pulled away from the curb.

"Are you going to be a good patient for the next few days, Stephanie?" Carlos rumbled in a distinctively sexy voice.

I smirked and shook my head. I may be on bed rest for a couple of days, but no way in hell would I be taking it easy.

"That depends, Doctor Manoso. Do you like your patients naughty or nice?" I replied saucily, laughing as he groaned and muttered something in Spanish.

I love my husband.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	5. In Sickness and In Health

**Married For Life**

**Summary****: A series of one-shots that take a look into Steph and Ranger's life as a married couple. BABE. BABE HEA.**

**Disclaimer:****All recognizable characters, settings, etc. from the PLUM series are the property of Janet Evanovich. No copyright infringement is intended. I am not making any profit; all credit goes to the aforementioned author.**

**Warnings for:**** Explicit Sexual Situations and Bad Language. Rated MA. **

**

* * *

**

**In Sickness and In Health**

_Two weeks Later._

**RPOV**

I was sitting at my desk, working through an indecently large pile of paperwork, when my cell phone rang, '_Sexy Bitch'_ blaring out at me. Babe had been playing with my phone. I glanced at the display reading. Lester. He was on Babe duty today. It was only o' eight hundred hours. I'd left my Babe at six-thirty. What the hell had happened in that short time? Christ, with Stephanie, anything was possible.

"Yo!" I barked.

"Uh, Rangeman, we have a slight problem," Lester whispered into the phone. Why the fuck was he whispering?

"Explain!" I demanded, throwing down my pen and leaning back into my chair, closing my eyes. For the love of God, please just let Steph be okay.

"It's Stephanie." Shit.

"What about her?" I all but growled.

"She, uh, she's barricaded herself in your bedroom," Lester admitted quietly. Oh for fuck's sake.

"Pick the lock, break down the door and get her out then!" I ordered.

"Problem."

"What?" I ground my teeth together in frustration as he was silent for a minute.

"She's naked; last time I saw her naked you drugged me, and tied me naked to a streetlight down on Stark with a gun tapped to my hand. I was attacked and mauled by a group of hookers and then one very angry pimp. I don't want to repeat that experience."

I could practically feel his shudder through the phone. I smiled a little at that. He'd finally learnt his lesson – no one looks at my wife but me!

"Not that it wasn't worth it. Beautiful has one kicking body, all curvy and slim and sexy."

Christ. He really was an idiot.

"Santos! Gym, 1700 hours!" My voice commanded.

"Shit. Fine, guess I deserved that," he grumbled.

"I'll be up in five to remedy the situation."

Disconnecting, I stood and stalked out of my office. Lester had one simple task for the morning and he couldn't even follow through. Why the hell did I keep him on the pay roll again?

Punching the call button on the elevator, I stood frozen, hands on hips as I waited. My 'blank face' was slammed into place, but anyone in a ten foot radius would know I was not pleased and not to mess with me.

"Boss," a voice to my left cheerfully inquired. What. The. _Fuck._

"Hal," I acknowledged, sliding my eyes to stare him down. He didn't even blink, completely unfazed, he shuffled his papers around before finding the one he was obviously looking for. I had to give him respect. Not many men could handle the Manoso 'look' without flinching. Then again, I'd always wondered whether Hal was a few bullets short of a clip.

"Got a minute?" he inquired, rocking back on his heels.

"Depends," I muttered.

"Just wanted to run through the details on the Dewalt case," he began. I instantly shut him down.

"That's Tank's case. Go bother him." I gave him another 'look' this one more aggressive than the last. He paled, nodded and scampered away. Thank Christ.

The elevator doors finally slid open and I strode in, repeatedly pressing the button on my key fob to take me to the penthouse. Only my Babe can run circles around my men. This was the fifth time we'd had to reschedule the appointment. I thought I'd managed to talk her into it this morning with my _persuasive _methods. She'd certainly enjoyed them at the time. I don't think I'd ever heard her scream my name that loud before.

I arrived at the seventh floor and barreled into the apartment, straight past Lester, to the bedroom door. Staring at it for a moment, I took three deep breaths and waited. I knew she'd know the second I had arrived. If she knew what was good for her, she would throw on a robe and open the door quickly.

Thirty seconds later, I heard a loud sniffle and the lock on the door clicked, but the door itself remained shut. I thought about sighing. Instead I turned to Lester and gave him a smirk.

"Rangeman, whatever it is you're thinking about as punishment, don't!" he begged, his eyes wide, darting around the room as if looking to escape. There was no escaping Ranger Manoso.

"Go down to my office. You'll find an in box and an out box. Sit there and complete the paperwork until it is all in the out box. Dismissed," I announced, turning back to the door where I could still hear Babe sniffling. Damn, I fucking hated it when she cried.

"No! B-but Boss, you wouldn't be so cruel? I-I can't sign your signature!" Lester argued, sounding relieved at his pathetic attempt to get out of his punishment.

"Bullshit. You've forged my signature since we were fifteen years old when you signed me up for that fucking school beauty pageant. Get to work solider!"

"Shit."

I waited until his footsteps faded away and the apartment door closed. Preparing myself to see my Babe teary-eyed and upset, I quietly knocked on the door and opened it. As soon as I was inside the doorway, her body collided with mine, her arms wrapping around my neck, her legs around my waist as she sobbed into my shoulder.

"Hush querida, don't cry," I soothed her, stroking her silk-robe covered back lightly as I made my way to the bed.

Sitting down, my back resting against the headboard, I held her until she calmed down. The gun tucked against my lower back was digging in uncomfortably, but I didn't want to move in case it set my Babe off again.

"I'm so sorry, Carlos. I just – I – I'm too – I don't – can't. I hate disappointing you," she whimpered, her voice muffled by my shirt.

"You haven't disappointed me Babe," I murmured. No, _she_ hadn't but Lester sure fucking had. He obviously must have said something to set her off and get her worked up into this much of an emotional frenzy.

We fell into an easy silence. Personally, I was waiting for the damn to break and words to start spewing forth from her lips. Ten minutes later, I was still waiting, and I had a feeling she was almost asleep.

I tugged on one of her curls and waited until her eyes peaked up at me before I spoke.

"Babe, what were the conditions we agreed to, regarding your sugar intake?" I questioned gently. This had been a little bit of a touchy subject between us before I asked her to marry me. I'd basically outlined to her that I couldn't spend my life with someone who was so careless with their health and safety. She'd wondered if we could reach a compromise, and we had. It had only taken five hours, two fights and one hell of a round of make-up sex.

"That I eat two healthy meals a day and that I regularly go to the dentist and doctor for checkups," she spoke softly.

"When was the last time you went to the dentist?" I asked, not knowing whether I actually wanted to know the answer or not.

"Treeyasado," she mumbled incoherently.

"What?" I prompted, shifting her around so the side of her head rested against my shoulder and I could hear her more clearly.

"Three years ago," she sighed pitifully, even flinching a little.

"Babe," I said, shaking my head slightly.

"See! You're disappointed!"

"Stephanie, I'm not disappointed. I'm worried. What's scared you off of the dentist?" I responded, stroking my fingers across her cheek.

"I'm not scared," she denied quickly.

"Babe."

"Fine! I'm freaking terrified! I hate him; I hate him so much, the man is evil. Ever since I was little, he's had it in for me and he's always hated me. He was never as mean to the other kids as he was to me. I bet a dentist would never even dare be mean to you; he'd be too afraid you would kick his ass into next week!" She was shouting by the time she'd finished speaking.

"Steph," I stated, cutting off any more of the words that might be thinking about jumping out of her mouth.

"What?" she huffed.

"Calm, Babe. What did this man do to you?" I demanded. If I had to kill some old guy for messing with my Babe, I wanted details, and I wanted to know how much to make him suffer.

"He told me all my teeth were going to rot away and fall out! Last time I went, he drilled a hole into my tooth without giving me any painkillers! I couldn't eat for a week. Then three of my other teeth got infected and I had to go to the hospital. He's the devil I tell you. I'm never going back!" Babe yelled, poking a finger hard against my chest. I caught her finger and brought it to my lips, kissing it and sucking on it a little. She was breathing heavily when I released it and placed her hand back down on my chest.

"How about I take you to my dentist? I won't let anything happen to you and I will make sure she talks you through what she's doing," I suggested calmly. I wasn't fazed by her rant but no way in hell was I going to touch her childhood dentist issues.

"You – you'd do that?"

"Steph," I whispered, tilting her chin upwards so I could kiss her sinfully soft lips. "I would do anything for you. Get dressed. We'll leave in thirty." Instead of arguing about the short time frame, she brushed her lips against mine, sucking on my bottom lip, before jumping up and bounding into the wardrobe.

I stared down at my dick, now hard and throbbing for my Babe. Stripping down, I decided to shower and change into a fresh set of clothes and take care of my... problem. Steph chose that moment to exit the wardrobe with her clothing choices. She made a cute little whimper-moan sound that had my dick twitching as her eyes moved up and down my body. I loved when she admired my body.

I eased her clothes out of her hands, tossing them on top of the dresser. Snagging one of the ties on her silk robe, I drew her closer, until her body was pressed flush against mine. Our eyes met, electricity crackled between us, and she licked her lips. Groaning, I dipped my head down and kissed her softly, nibbling on her lips as my hand slid inside her robe. My hand closed around her left breast, kneading it gently. Her lips pressed more forcefully against mine, her tongue fighting my own for dominance. Twisting her nipple lightly, I was rewarded with a gasp. Unable to bear not being skin to skin with her any longer, I drew her robe apart, pushing it off her shoulders so it pooled on the ground at our feet. My eyes roamed her body, my dick grew harder and I scooped her up into my arms, carrying her to the bed.

Laying her down on her back, my body followed her down, my weight pressing against her. My lips found hers once more and we kissed passionately, her hands gripping my shoulders and sliding down my back. I had one of my hands buried deep in her curls; the other was caressing the soft skin of her breasts, tummy, and thighs. I shifted onto my side next to her, drawing her against me as we continued to touch, stroke and embrace.

"Carlos, mmm, not that I'm not, _oh,_ enjoying this, but, I, are we going to be l-late," she whispered against my lips, her breath escaping in soft pants. Her eyes were a soft dark blue, her pupils dilated, as she stared at me hungrily. I kissed her lips softly, keeping my eyes open, locked on hers.

"We don't have an appointment so we can't be late," I murmured, my hand resuming its exploring as her lips pressed against mine.

Our caressing continued until her hot little hand found my dick and she stroked me gently, slowly. It was the sweetest kind of torture. As I lifted her leg over mine, she guided my dick to her entrance and I sunk deep inside her. We made love slowly, rocking against each other, sharing gentle kisses. When her walls started clenching around me, I rolled her onto her back and thrust inside her, deep and fast as my hand played with her clit. She came first, a quiet cry and a moan of my name. I followed her in two quick thrusts, emptying myself inside her with a murmur of her name.

We lay together, panting and trembling, holding each other.

"Better go get dressed, Babe," I gruffly whispered, kissing her sweetly.

"Love you," she hummed, returning my kiss with one of her own before she slipped out of bed and headed into the shower to clean up. My eyes were trained on her naked body, her pert ass, her swinging hips.

I was nearly ready for her all over again.

"Love you, Babe!" I called after her, shaking myself out of my stupor to clean up and get dressed myself.

Twenty minutes later, I was dressed in black jeans, a black Henley, black jacket and black boots. Babe was wearing a pair of tight dark blue jeans, a green lacy top with a scooping neckline, a grey cropped jacket, and green fuck me pumps. She looked sexy, her breasts peeking out the top of her shirt, her ass hugged tight by her jeans and her hair curled around her face. Let's not forget the shoes. I wanted to strip her naked and fuck her with just the shoes on. She had forgone make-up, as was how I preferred her. The natural glow she had about her after sex made her shine. I was glad my dentist was female. No male was getting anywhere near her today.

"Ready?" I inquired.

At her nod, I took her hand firmly in mine and led her out of the apartment. Her body was tense and her nerves were returning in shitloads by the second. I moved my arm to encircle her waist and tucked her firmly into my side. She wasn't going to give me the slip, nor was she going to get out of this.

"Don't even think of running. There is nothing to worry about," I pointed out, pressing my lips to her temple.

She nodded a little but remained quiet. The entire trip to the dentist's office, she stayed silent. Babe was stressed out.

I helped her out of the car once we pulled into parking lot and gave her hand a comforting squeeze. We strode inside in silence, making our way to the reception desk. I ignored the few gasps from the women in the reception area and growled at the males' smiles of appreciation for my Babe. I stared down the reception woman whose nametag read 'Brenda'.

"Uh, um, you-your name, Sir?" she stammered, practically eye-fucking me even though it was blatantly obvious I was with my Babe. Steph simply rolled her eyes.

"Manoso," I answered.

Brenda's eyes dropped from my body to the computer screen in front of her. I knew she wouldn't find an appointment there under that name – I hadn't booked one. It was no surprise when a small frown appeared on the woman's face and she searched through again.

"Mr Manoso, I'm sorry, but –"

I smiled when Georgia, the dentist, came racing around the corner and practically slammed into her receptionist. Perfect timing.

"Mr Manoso! So good to see you. What can we do for you today?" she asked with a large grin on her face. I'd donated more than enough money to her practice that she fit me into her schedule whenever I required. It was very convenient. I felt more than saw Babe raise an eyebrow at me.

"My wife here needs a checkup. It's been a while and I'm worried her oral health might be lapsing," I commented, drawing Stephanie's body in front of mine. She gave the dentist a tiny finger wave before turning around and burrowing herself in my chest. I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped me.

"Of course, right this way," Georgia ushered us down the hall and into a room on the left. Babe started to shake as soon as the door closed.

"My wife doesn't like dentists. She's terrified. I expect you to treat her with care and to explain everything you do with great detail. Are we understood?" I demanded of Georgia as I tried to wrestle Stephanie into the chair. She wouldn't let go of me. Sighing quietly, I sat down in the chair myself and flipped her around, so she was sitting in my lap. My arms banded around her, pinning her arms and holding her in place. I trailed my lips along the skin of her neck and back, smiling when she ceased her struggling.

All in all, the checkup went fairly smoothly, Georgia talking to Steph the entire time, me kissing my Babe when she started to freak out again. I should have taken her here in the first place. It would have saved a hell of a lot of drama. By the time the examination was over, Steph was completely at ease.

"Well, everything seems perfect, Stephanie. I think you have one of the nicest natural smiles I've seen, next to your husband's of course. I'll make your next appointment for six months' time," Georgia happily chatted away.

Holy shit. I don't believe it. How the hell is this even possible? She eats more ounces of sugar a day than an Auto Assault 12 Shotgun could fire per minute, and at 300 rounds per minute, that would equate to a fuckload of sugar.

Babe got the appointment card for her next checkup quickly, and we were headed back to the car. She was chatting excitedly about how nice Georgia was and how she wasn't worried about the next appointment. Shit, no kidding, when you got a perfect teeth score card, you had nothing to worry about.

"Proud of you Babe," I murmured, kissing her forehead.

When the fuck was my next dentist appointment? I'll show my wife perfect fucking teeth.

* * *

_To be continued…_


	6. To Love and to Cherish

**Married For Life**

**Summary****: A series of one-shots that take a look into Steph and Ranger's life as a married couple. BABE. BABE HEA.**

**Disclaimer:****All recognizable characters, settings, etc. from the PLUM series are the property of Janet Evanovich. No copyright infringement is intended. I am not making any profit; all credit goes to the aforementioned author.**

**Warnings for:**** Explicit Sexual Situations and Bad Language. Rated MA. **

**

* * *

****To Love and to Cherish**

_Six weeks later_

**RPOV**

I stepped out of the elevator and unlocked the apartment door. I'd had this day planned out for months now. For once I'd beaten Stephanie upstairs. That was my intent when I'd started work at five am this morning even though I'd been reluctant to leave the bed with my warm naked wife in it at o four hundred.

Steph wouldn't be too far behind me. I'd instructed Lester to send her up here at exactly seventeen hundred hours and I still needed to set up. I took a quick shower and pulled on a pair of black dress pants as I set to work.

I filled the tub with hot water and some bubble bath, lighting the handful of candles Stephanie seemed to like in the bathroom. Moving to the wardrobe, I extracted the dress bag I'd hidden in there a couple of weeks ago, unzipping it slowly. I had to admit, I'd really outdone myself.

The stunning red dress was sexy, yet elegant and would make my Babe look like a siren. In a small bag that hid behind my duffle, I extracted a pair of four inch red stilettoes and a red lacy thong that made my dick ache. I couldn't wait to see Stephanie in them… and out of them.

I hung the dress in the bathroom, and placed the thong and shoes next to the sink. Then I waited.

Not five minutes later, Steph dashed through the bedroom doors coming to an abrupt halt as she took in my half naked body reclined on the bed.

"Lester told me there was an emergency up here?" she murmured, her eyes shifting away from me to scan the room worriedly.

"Lester lied, Babe. I'm taking you out tonight, to a club. Everything's set in the bathroom," I explained, getting off the bed so I could give her a warm kiss hello and reassure her everything was fine. "Take your time," I added.

She nodded slowly, drawing away from me to investigate the bathroom. Her little gasp of delight made me smile.

I went into the office to do some work while I waited for my Babe.

Forty minutes later, I was dressed in a black on black suit with a red tie to match my Babe. I was sitting on the edge of the bed, awaiting Stephanie. I had a couple more things to give her.

When she opened the bathroom door, I clenched my jaw to stop it from falling open. She looked gorgeous.

"You look beautiful, Steph," I whispered, standing as she made her way towards me.

"Thanks handsome," she giggled, smoothing out my tie. I don't think she'd ever seen me in a tie that wasn't black or grey. Her large smile certainly portrayed her approval.

"Turn around, Babe?" I requested.

She turned slowly, my hands on her hips steadied her as she faced away from me.

Brushing her hair to one side, I kissed her shoulder, finished zipping up the back of her dress and retrieved her present from my pocket. Opening the jeweler's case, I slid out the strand of off-white pearls. Placing them around her neck, I fastened the clasp and turned her back around to face me.

Her hand hovered above them as she blinked up at me with shining eyes. I carefully unclasped her silver dangly earrings and put drop pearl earrings in their place.

"Perfect," I admired, smiling at her.

She returned my smile and gave me a sweet kiss.

"Thank you," she sighed. Babe still wasn't used to me giving her presents.

I touched her cheek lightly and gave her a kiss that told her exactly how much I enjoyed giving her things.

"So, where are we going, Carlos?" she wondered as we slowly parted.

"A club, Babe," I answered, tucking a curl behind her ear. I loved it when she wore her hair down like this.

"You already said that. What club?" she queried suspiciously. Couldn't hide anything from my Babe

"I don't think you're familiar with it," I replied evasively, grinning at her.

"Oh?" She raised her eyebrows at me and waited. Time to bite the bullet.

"I believe one could refer to it as a Gentlemen's Club," I spoke gently.

"C-Carlos? You're taking me to a _strip_ club?" she cried, slapping my chest. I caught her hand and pressed a kiss to each of her fingers.

"No, Babe. I suppose a more apt title would be a Couples Sex Club." I observed her carefully, wincing when her eyes widened and turned stormy.

"What?" she snapped angrily.

"Relax, Babe. I'm not sharing you with anyone. The membership mostly extends to monogamous couples. It's very exclusive, and private. There are very strict entry guidelines," I explained, trying to smooth her anger by gently caressing her cheek with my thumb. It worked.

"You want me to go to a _sex club_!" she huffed, pouting a little.

"_Us_, Babe. I want to expand your sexual horizons," I murmured, dropping a kiss to her lips. She fell silent, and I could see her mood shifting once again. Now she was feeling nervous, afraid and vulnerable.

"But Carlos, I don't think I'm, um, confident or sexual enough for that?" she mumbled, frowning as she tried to find the right word to describe what she was feeling. I knew what she was feeling; the oppression of having lived in the burg all her life, with that nagging bitch of a woman she called her mother.

I wrapped an arm around her and dragged her against me, capturing her lips in a powerful kiss. She went lax against me and rested her head against my shoulder as we both caught our breath.

Taking a deep breath, I ran a hand through her hair and held her securely to me as I calmed down.

"You are _not_ a Chambersburg Clone, Steph. You're my wife. The fearless Bombshell Bounty Hunter. An extremely sexual woman. You trust me, Babe. Would I ever put you in a situation in which you'd be uncomfortable? I think you'll enjoy this just as much as I will," I promised lightly, trying not to let my anger over how her mother put her down for years enter my voice. Tonight wasn't about anger. It was supposed to be about love, lust, desire and sharing something new and exciting with Steph.

I pressed light kisses down her neck and along her shoulder. She squirmed a little and pressed tightly against me. I knew she could feel my arousal.

"What if we get there and I really don't want to, uh, _do_ anything," she asked nervously, unbuttoning the top two buttons on my shirt and loosening my tie so she could pepper teasing kisses against the skin of my chest.

"Then we'll just have a nice night out, drinking, dancing and enjoying each other's company," I smoothly replied. If that was really how she felt, of course I wouldn't force her into anything. I loved my Babe.

"You won't be mad?" she meekly inquired, peeking up at me.

"No. Besides, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised," I assured her, regretfully letting her go so I could straighten up. Taking her hand, I led her to the elevator and down to the garage.

I held open the door to my Cayman S and helped Steph in, giving her a heady kiss before clicking her seatbelt on and softly closing the door. When I slid behind the wheel, she was doing a fish impression, glancing from me to her seatbelt. I loved that I could make her forget her surroundings so completely.

She was quiet for a few minutes, a cute frown on her face revealing her mind was at work.

"I smell something burning, Babe," I stated with a chuckle.

She poked her tongue out at me, making my dick harden as my mind instantly reveled in all the wonderful things we could do with that mesmerizing part of her anatomy. I shifted myself, and watched as she considered her thoughts before speaking.

"So, how did you even hear about this place?" she finally asked.

"I'm a silent partner. I own fifty one percent. I invested a month or so after we started dating," I admitted freely.

"What?" she shrieked. The look of shock on her face amused me to no end.

"I knew it was something I'd want to experience with you. Not to mention, it's actually turning into a worthwhile investment. Very profitable," I confided, flashing her a smile.

Stephanie just shook her head in disbelief. I smiled again.

I pulled up in front of the nondescript brick building and found a park two spaces from the door. Climbing out of the car, I assisted my wife from the vehicle, beeped it locked and led her up the handful of steps.

I kept my arm tightly around her waist as I guided her through the sleek black double doors. The man inside gave me a nod and said, "Welcome, Mr and Mrs Manoso." I felt Steph shiver and lean more heavily against me.

We moved through the second set of doors and I stopped Stephanie from going through the dark red curtain before us. Heavy, sensual music was throbbing through hidden speakers, enveloping us in its rhythmic beat. It wasn't so obnoxiously loud that we'd have to shout to talk to each other. The dance floor was another level down, where the music blared. Below the dance floor were the private rooms.

I walked in front of her and dropped to my knees, giving her a smirk before my hands slid under her short dress. I watched her freeze and blink down at me as my fingers slid under the sides of her panties and eased them down her legs.

"Dress code, Babe," I murmured, helping her to step out of her lacey thong. I stuffed it in my back pocket and rose to my feet. She was still nervous, but her eyes were hooded with desire, betraying her, as she looked at me.

I slid my arm around her waist once more and parted the curtain, stepping through and pausing at the top of the large grand staircase.

For a moment, it felt like all eyes were on us as we began making our way down the stairs onto the main floor.

I gazed at my wife as she took everything in, observing shock, awe, and desire race across her features. My eyes followed hers, taking in the semi-private booths that lined the walls, the intimate tables for two taking up a large majority of the floor and of course, the six viewing rooms on the far wall where couples could express their more voyeuristic or exabitionist desires.

"Would you like a drink, Babe?" I whispered against the shell of her ear. She shivered and nodded slowly.

Slipping my hand under her chin, I tilted her face slowly upwards until I could press a slow tantalizing kiss against her lips.

As we parted, her body sagged against mine and she buried her face in my shoulder. My arms slipped around her, holding her to me. She breathed me in deeply before gazing up at me again.

I knew this establishment was nothing like what she expected. I could tell she already felt more comfortable now, having seen a little of the place. She also, I thought, realized I would never do anything to hurt her, physically, emotionally, mentally or sexually. My Babe trusted me, though sometimes she just needed to remind herself of that fact.

"We're going to do this, Babe, and it's going to be good," I murmured, slipping one of my hands down to cup her sweet ass. I gave a light squeeze and was rewarded with a soft whimper followed by a moan. Those two noises only could drive any man wild with desire.

"C'mon, Babe." I pulled away a fraction, tucked her into the side of my body and swaggered over to the bar.

"Mr and Mrs Manoso, a pleasure," the bartender greeted us politely. I was impressed by the fact that his eyes stayed on both mine and Stephanie's face. It was good to know that my employees were competent.

"One scotch on the rocks, and a weak Long Island Ice Tea," I ordered, ignoring the death glare my wife was sending my way.

When she huffed a little and folded her arms tightly across her chest, I bent down so my lips could hover above her ear.

"Stephanie, I want you in full control of your senses, so you can enjoy every _pleasurable _minute," I said huskily, pressing a kiss lightly, just behind the lobe of her ear. That spot drove her crazy.

I leaned back slightly and watched her eyes glaze over. The bartender sat our drinks on the counter. I held my hand out to the man, and stealthily transferred a hefty tip into his palm.

I handed Babe her drink and grabbed my own, making sure to keep her pressed tight against my body as we wove through the tables and couples. I guided my wife to a semi-private booth in the far right corner.

Stephanie gasped when she spotted a brass plate with _Mr and Mrs Manoso_ elegantly inscribed into the metal that sat to the left of the entrance.

I parted the dark blue, delicate, semi-transparent material that gave us a little privacy from the other patrons, and the booths on either side of us. Before us lay a large u-shaped black suede couch, wide enough to comfortably sleep two, with pillows and silk draped everywhere. A small round table was placed in the center of the booth, in front of the decadent couch. I moved forward and sat my drink down, taking Steph's from her and placing it next to mine.

I wasted no time in sliding my hands under the bottom of her dress and pulling it up and over her head.

She stood before me, naked, except for her four inch red stilettoes and the pearls that hung against her throat.

Exceptional.

"Carlos!" she whisper-shouted, her response delayed as she wrapped an arm across her chest and glanced nervously over her shoulder.

No-one looking would be able to make out anything, just the sensual curves of a beautiful woman.

"Steph, you know how protective I am of you; if I thought someone could see you like this, you wouldn't be naked," I rumbled, taking her hand and moving her arm away from her body. My eyes travelled over her exquisite form.

I loved her body, more than she would ever believe. Her self-confidence issues were something I was working on.

"Don't hide yourself from me, Babe," I added softly, cupping her face as I brushed my lips slowly against hers. When her lips parted, I slipped my tongue into her warm, wet mouth and kissed her languidly, building our pleasure slowly. Her body melted into mine, her naked skin pressing against the length of my fully clothed body.

"Undress me?" I requested lightly as our mouths separated slowly.

She nodded against my lips, her small warm hands loosening my tie first, and throwing it around her neck. I growled as the red silk material draped between her breasts.

She pushed my jacket off my shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. Her fingers moving slowly down the buttons of my shirt had me growling in frustration. The wicked smile she flashed me made me ache. Tugging on the tie gently, I drew her close enough that I could capture her lips in a bruising kiss. She continued to unbutton my shirt as my hands moved over her body, touching her everywhere as we shared our passion filled kiss. It seemed we were both as hungry for each other as the other was. When my shirt was finally open, I shrugged it off and pulled Stephanie tightly against me, our bare chests rubbing together. I loved the feel of her against me.

Slipping my hand between her legs as our lips locked together once more, I teased her soft flesh, playing in her wetness.

Her hands clumsily worked on the button and zip of my pants, impatiently pulling them down over my hips so she could grab my dick. Chuckling, I took a small step back from my wife, kicking off my shoes and socks before removing my pants.

She was wrapped back around me in seconds. Lifting her into my arms, I laid her down on the far portion of the lounge, admiring her beautiful body stretched out before me.

"Carlos," she whimpered quietly.

I eased off her shoes, and removed my tie that hung haphazardly around her neck before covering her body with mine. Our lips met again, as desire overcame us and our bodies started moving against each other.

I moved my hand back between her legs and inserted two fingers inside her.

She moaned loudly, then made an adorable squeaking noise before blushing. I slowed my movements, curious as to what she was about. Watching her as I pleasured her, I noticed she bit down tightly on her bottom lip whenever I rubbed my fingers against _that_ special spot inside her.

It was then it clicked in my mind.

"Babe, listen," I demanded huskily.

"I d-don't hear anything except the m-music," she panted, her eyes only half open as she gazed at me.

"Listen carefully," I implored, easing my fingers out of her, only just brushing my thumb lightly back and forwards against her clit.

"_Uh, oh, yes!"_

"_Don't stop, don't stop."_

"_Please, right there!"_

"_So fucking good."_

"_Yes! Yes!_"

"You can be as loud as you want, Babe," I murmured as I listened to the voices of people around us. "I want you to be loud. Don't hold back," I asserted, switching our positions so she was on top before I sat up underneath her.

Lifting her hips, I guided her down on top of me, groaning when I was fully inside her. She rolled her hips, and I settled a little deeper. Steph began rocking on top of me, her head thrown back as she took pleasure from my body.

Dipping my head down, I caught her nipple in my mouth, sucking on it softly before giving a little nip and laving the sting away with my tongue. Stephanie's gasp and loud moan had me repeating the motion, this time to her other nipple.

She burrowed her hands into my hair, holding my head against her chest as she mumbled praise incoherently. Moving one hand to her lower back, the other crept around and brushed her clit just as I bit down on her nipple.

She flew apart in my arms, her pussy clenching tightly around me as she cried out my name. I clenched my teeth as I fought off my own orgasm, not wanting this to end too soon.

I carefully rolled us over, making sure to keep us joined as I settled on top of her. My lips found hers and I slowly began thrusting into her. Her arms wrapped loosely around my shoulders, and her legs tangled together with mine as we made love.

"Carlos, faster," she begged a little while later, lifting her hips up just as I plunged deeply inside her.

My control wavered, but when my wife clenched her tight pussy around me, I couldn't hold back any longer.

I flexed my hips harder and faster, enjoying Stephanie's moans of encouragement.

I felt my balls tightening and rubbed Steph's clit, growling loudly when we both came together.

For a few moments, we lay together, panting as we came back down.

"I love you," I whispered, brushing a kiss to her forehead. She replied in kind, kissing my shoulder.

I carefully stood up, easing out from under her and opened the cupboards that lay in the wall behind the booth. I grabbed a water bottle and handed it to Steph, before taking a hand towel and running it under warm water from the small sink unit.

I cleaned us both up, tossing the towel in the bin tucked away in the corner. Lying back down, I pulled Steph firmly against me.

"You really do think of everything, don't you? You must have been a boy scout," Stephanie mumbled as she snuggled against me.

I chuckled.

"Babe, I was an Army Ranger," I explained smugly.

I knew she rolled her eyes as she sighed, "Right!"

We rested for a handful of minutes, enjoying each other.

"Want to check out the dance floor?" I asked softly, gyrating my hips against hers in a seductive motion.

"Like this, or will someone get offended if I go naked," my wife saucily replied.

"I will! Get dressed," I ordered, smacking her ass lightly. She giggled as she wriggled off me and retrieved her dress.

I knew there was no way in hell she'd walk out of the booth naked, but her teasing let me know she wasn't nervous anymore. My eyes roved over her body as she slid the red dress back on. I quietly stepped forward to help her with the zip.

I quickly redressed and gave my wife a deep kiss after she helped me with my tie. Tugging her further into my arms, I slowly drew us into a passionate kiss, rubbing my nose lightly against hers as I pulled away. Her giggle made my heart ache with happiness.

Taking her hand in mine, we exited our little haven.

We headed back toward the grand staircase, but this time we headed down another level. Keeping a tight grip on Stephanie, I pushed open the heavy doors and maneuvered us inside, through the throng of people until we made it to the center of the dance floor. Loud Latin music was pumping, the beat so loud it practically reverberated in your chest. The dim lighting revealed only glimpses of other couples.

I wasted no time in moving Steph's arms into position and starting a quick Samba.

For our wedding, I'd insisted on Stephanie learning a number of Latin dances of my choice. We'd both gone to Samba, Rumba, Salsa, Cha Cha, Merengue and Bachata lessons over a twelve week period. Our first dance together as a married couple had been a Bachata, much to her mother's dismay and my mother's pleasure.

After a few dances, we fell out of time with the music and danced to our own rhythm. One of my hands curved over Steph's ass, pulling her tighter and closer against me so she could feel my arousal. Her hand slid between us and cupped me through my pants, giving my dick a squeeze. I felt her fingers toying with my zipper and groaned.

Pressing my lips to her ear, I growled loudly, "Fuck, yes."

Her fingers slowly unzipped my pants, unfastening the top button, freeing my dick. She started to wrap her hand around my dick, but I had other plans.

Slipping my hand beneath her right thigh, I curled her leg up around my waist. Her pussy rubbed against my dick; we were at the perfect height. Without further warning, I thrust deep inside her, reveling in the look of ecstasy on her features.

Within minutes we were both coming.

I slowly lowered her leg to the floor, but supported her weight as she leaned against me heavily.

"Ready to go?" I shouted over the music. She simply nodded and kissed me gently. I kept her wrapped in my arms as we made our way back to the staircase and up and out the front doors.

Before we'd driven three blocks, Stephanie was fast asleep, curled up in her chair.

I smiled as I watched my Babe. She was exhausted, but she'd tried something new and different with me and for me that was outside her comfort zone. That was just one of the reasons why I'd cherish her forever.

* * *

_To be continued…_


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